


The Benefits of Inefficiency

by Ineffabilitea



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: Community: blanketforts, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-01-16
Updated: 2006-01-16
Packaged: 2017-10-08 22:29:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/80138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ineffabilitea/pseuds/Ineffabilitea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remus tours Sirius' new flat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Benefits of Inefficiency

**Author's Note:**

> Written for **blanketforts** 2006 [sixteenth prompt](http://www.livejournal.com/community/blanketforts/86058.html?#cutid1).

What with the motorbike and the cigarettes, Remus sometimes forgot that Sirius was as capable as any pureblood of making (occasionally enormous) gaffes when it came to things Muggle.

Sirius had insisted on getting a flat in a Muggle building after Hogwarts, and Remus really didn't blame him; there were fewer wizarding flats in London than you'd think, and those that were available were generally outdated (to the point of lacking indoor plumbing) and located in completely unfashionable areas (or utterly improbable ones).

The first time Remus visited, he was in for a few surprises. Sirius had adequately absorbed (and, in fact, embraced) the concept of the refrigerator during his many visits to Remus' parents' home, and he didn't seem to be interested in using anything else in the kitchen, properly or improperly, having written it all off as having nothing to do with him, since he didn't intend to cook. So that was one danger zone avoided. But the flowers stuck into all the plugs had been quite something. ('C'mon, Moony, they do brighten up the place, and I didn't know what else to do with all the funny holes in the wall.') Remus was glad Sirius had, of course, not bothered to have the electricity turned on.

So the plugs were definitely the worst. But for personal reasons, Remus was most alarmed when he entered the living room and discovered that Sirius was using the radiator as a bookshelf.

Sirius noticed him looking (or perhaps 'gawking in abject horror' would be more correct) and said, "Bloody odd shelves, I know. There's one in nearly every room. Not quite deep enough to be practical, really, and I don't know why all that bottom part- decorative, I suppose."

"They're not meant to be shelves," Remus said, with difficulty resisting the urge to start moving Sirius' books right this instant. "They're radiators- they heat the flat. Like a fireplace, or a warming charm."

"Oh. That explains why you look like someone threatened to murder your Puffskein- they aren't going to catch fire, you know. It's _July_."

"They wouldn't necessarily catch fire - it doesn't get that hot. But the heat's bad for the paper and the bindings- they'll warp." Remus' fingers itched, and he caught himself unconsciously clenching and unclenching his fists.

"All right, I'll move the books." Remus started towards the radiator. "Tomorrow, after I buy a new bookshelf. If that's okay with you, Moony, Defender of Printed Matter?"

"I suppose." Remus consoled himself with the thought that he really wouldn't be much happier if Sirius' books were on the floor instead.

"How well does this radiathingy work, anyway, if it doesn't get hot enough to start a fire?"

"Radiators work quite well, actually. Safer than a fireplace, with no smoke, and more efficient than warming charms- better range of coverage."

"Can't hook 'em up to the Floo Network, though."

"Certainly not." Remus brushed his hand over the front. "Y'know, I missed these at Hogwarts. I mean, there's indoor plumbing in the thousand-year-old castle, why couldn't we have a few other modern conveniences?"

"I'm not sorry we didn't have 'em."

"You enjoyed freezing your arse off for nearly six months out of every year? Could've fooled me with the complaining at the time."

"Well, but if we had had these then, we would never have found so many delightful ways to keep each other warm."


End file.
